CHC Healthcare

Microchips are promoted as effective and safe. They are injected into a dog’s skin and carry electronic data about the dog’s owners and home address. Electronic readers are then scanned over a lost dog’s body, hopefully reuniting him with his owner.

However, a link between microchipping and cancer in animals has prompted widespread public concern over the safety of implantable microchips. Reporting adverse reactions is encouraged and can be done via the link in the Adverse Reactions section.

In some countries, governments are seeking to make it mandatory for everyone to microchip their pets.

In the UK it isn't actually an offence to not chip your dog - only if you 'transfer' to another 'keeper' (their words not ours). That obviously means breeders and rescues are required to chip but not your current dog.

It worries me that anyone should demand, by law, that people should do something to themselves or their dependents when the procedure has the chance of causing cancer. Other risks include migration of the chip to elsewhere in the dog’s body causing health problems, and a failure of the scanner to find the chip.

The microchipping industry is projected to be worth billions.

What’s wrong with a collar and tag, or a tattoo (which doesn’t come with the risk of cancer)?

If you are considering microchipping your dog, check out this website: www.noble-leon.com. Saying that, you always have a choice - they could never enforce the 'dog licence', and the microchip is likely to be just as unenforceable.